"Good morning, Big Brother!"
"Good morning, Colette. Have you eaten?"
"I ate before I came here, so I'm good."
The adorable blonde Dwarf sat beside Lux as the latter ate the ham and eggs that were served to him inside the tavern.
Eiko, on the other hand, was munching on bacon.
Since Colette had nothing to do, she decided to hand feed the baby Slime who liked to be spoiled by the people she knew and cared about.
Half an hour later, Helen arrived at the inn and also sat at the table to join her friends. She was wearing a golden pin on her head, which was an artifact that her family gave her as a reward after becoming an Apostle in Elysium.
"Big Brother, I bragged about our achievements to my Big Sister, and she was very surprised about it," Colette said with a smug expression on her face. "Also, I told her that our party will beat the record she had set in the Bronze Crypt and she only smiled and told me 'Good luck!'
"It seems like she doesn't believe that we can beat her. Big Brother, you better help me prove that we beat her record, okay? I even bought a recording crystal just to show her the change in the rankings."
Lux chuckled but he firmly nodded his head. Although he admired Aina's strategy when she set the fastest record in clearing the Hell Mode of the Bronze Crypt, their group had something that her group didn't have when they were still in Leaf Village.
"Don't worry, we will leave your sister in the dust and she will have no choice but to acknowledge that you had surpassed her record." Lux gave Colette a reassuring smile, which made the latter feel giddy.
Colette was a very competitive person, and her sister was her idol. Aina was someone who was considered a top prodigy in Solais as well as in Elysium. Her achievements were such that when she created a guild separate from her family's main guild, many dwarfs still gathered under her banner.
This was proof that she was capable enough to stand on her own, and Colette had long considered her sister as the perfect role model to aspire to.
Colette knew that beating her sister's record was a daunting task, but as long as there was a possibility, she would use everything in her power to make it happen.
"Big Brother, it is still morning, and the Bronze Crypt only opens at night," said as she rested her chin over the palm of her hands. "What are we going to do while we wait for sunset?"
"Let's visit Grandma Annie's place and buy some Panaceas, Healing potion, and Mana Potion," Lus replied. "Even if we have Eiko, Helen, as well as your pet Clover (Mutated Carbuncle), we still need those things just in case they are not in the right state to cure us from status ailments."
Colette and Helen nodded in understanding.
Fifteen minutes later, the group of three were having tea, and snacks in Grandma Annie's candy shop as she prepared the things that they needed for their dungeon expedition.
"So, you girls will be leaving soon," Grandma Annie said as she sat beside Colette and Helen. "Time surely flies. I can't remember the number of times I've seen Foreigners come and leave this place. Of course, there are some people who have stood out from among the crowd, and left a very good impression on me."
Lux lightly coughed and said "Ahem Ahem" several times, but Grandma Annie, as well as the two Dwarven girls, ignored him.
"Grandma, do you know any outstanding Dwarves that appeared here several years ago?" Colette asked. "Do you know someone named Aina?"
"Aina? Of course I know her." Grandma Annie looked in the distance as if remembering a very good memory. "Not only is she a wonderful Dwarf, she's also very strong, and kind. Although her face always looked cold on the surface, she was a very warm person. If I only had a grandson, I would have definitely urged him to approach her and ask her hand for marriage."
Colette puffed up her chest with pride as she gave Lux a side-long glance that said, "Isn't my sister awesome?".
The adorable dwarf then told Grandma Annie that she was Aina's sister, but the latter didn't express any shock after this revelation.
"I know," Grandma Annie said.
Colette blinked her eyes in confusion. "You know?"
"Yes. Before your sister left, she told me that a few years from now, her sister will also come to Leaf Village, and asked me to look after you," Grandma Annie said with a mischievous smile on her face. "Perhaps this is also fate. Who would think that the one and only Half-Elf to appear in this village arrived at the same time as you did?"
The old Dwarf chuckled and sipped some tea before she continued her narration.
"Then, all of you went through all sorts of trouble." Grandma Annie lightly patted Colette's and Helen's heads. "Getting caught up in a Monster Outbreak, Kidnapped by Kobold Bandits, and clearing a Hidden Dungeon.
"When all of you leave Leaf Village, and set off on your journey once again, you must remember that the journey itself has meaning. The songs of the cities, the smiles of the people, and the Monsters you face, all of them are part of your journey.
"Although the destination is good, it is not everything. So, before you reach the end, keep your eyes open and use those chances to take in the world around you. I'm sure that you will fondly remember these things when you sit back and reminisce about how your journey started."
Grandma Annie sighed as she pulled the two Dwarves into her embrace and gave both of them a hug.
"It is such a pity that Foreigners can't return to the place where they started." Grandma Annie sighed. "I would love to hear your stories after you have all traveled the world, and seen places I have never seen before."
Colette, and Helen became teary-eyed as they hugged back Grandma Annie who had always been kind to them.
Lux no longer sulked and simply stared at this sad parting with a solemn gaze.
Just like Grandma Annie said, those who stepped into the Apostle Rank are fated to leave Leaf Village and never step foot in it again. Such were the rules of the world, and there was nothing they could do about it.
